Category: Exhibition

Drinking and drawing

1/5/2016

Pencil sketch of Natasha Robertson at The Black Buoy's April/May Beer Festival 2016

I have just returned from the Black Buoy in Wivenhoe's May bank holiday real ale festival. My assistant and I sat outside sketching and listening to the music, although my assistant was more interested in the fish and chips.

Earlier this week, I arranged for the Colchester Sketchers to drink/draw at the Bricklayers. My first sketch of my Aspell's cider was the most successful and is shared below.

Direct watercolour sketch.

Finally, something different, I currently have my experimental piece hung at the Art Exchange where it was selected for the Celebrate Landscape exhibition. If you are in the area, pop in before it closes next Saturday.

An arty time.

17/4/2016

Channelling Monet. Colour planned on site but added later.

Sketched inside the exhibition.

On Wednesday, I headed to town with the first stop at the Royal Academy to see the Painting the Garden: Monet to Matisse exhibition. It was the most inspiring exhibition I have seen in a long time and I just want to draw and paint gardens.

Next stop was at my favourite London gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, where I went from inspiring paintings to amazing photography in the Vogue 100: A hundred years of style.

Arriving early to meet friends and fellow artists, Jean Edwards & Minnie, I took inspiration from the Monet exhibition and sketched the pub focusing on the garden. (above).

After dinner, it was off to the Tower of London. Arriving early I used the 15 minute wait to sketch the Shard. (below)

We were at the Tower of London for a fabulous evening at #DrawnattheTower with Art Macabre: Ravens and Morbid Corvids. I started off drawing the RavenMaster, who was a fount of knowledge on everything corvid down to the naming of the birds: he was holding Gripp. After a couple of sketches of Gripp, I moved on to the pairs of ravens in their cages. They are only caged at night and roam freely around the Tower during the day. The ravens were very challenging to sketch and moved a lot, my results were not helped by my butterfly brain wating to take photos and chat to the Raven Master: love interesting people. I think my last sketch, drawn on black paper, is the most successful and I have hung it up in the studio. Judge for yourself as here they all are:

After all that artistic input, I've been very busy drawing and planning prints since coming home. I especially want to get on with my Bourne Mill gardening project. What have you been working on?

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Where was I?

5/7/2015

Accepting the Braintree Chamber Prize.

This year I've been entering a few exhibitions, and have been quiet successful.
Last month, I entered and was juried into the Braintree Open AND I won the Braintree Chamber prize.

Storm over the Saltings hung at the Braintree Open.

Also, in Braintree, I was chosen to have a painting in the Art Trail.

Wentworth House, in situ on the art trail.

Finally, I had a painting juried into the Harwich Open.

Broken Dreams hung in the Harwich Open.

So that's where you could find me in June. What were you up to? You can tell me in a comment to this post.

Recording Britain Now

3/5/2014

Into the Shadows. Ink. 30 x21 cm. ©Sue Pownall 2014

This is a drawing that has lurked in my head for a few years. It first emerged as a drawing for Illustration Friday's theme crooked in September 2012 (whole post here there-was-crooked-man). I wrote then

"The stile is actually an element in a idea for a drawing I've been toying with for a couple of years, so maybe now I will start on it."

Obviously it took a bit longer to get started on that drawing... not until 1st March 2014 when I thought it would be perfect for the John Ruskin Prize: Recording Britain Now. I submitted the drawing on 2nd April, and heard yesterday that it had not been selected for the shortlist. Knowing 588 artists entered does not stem my disappointment.

This drawing is for sale. Please contact me if you are interested on:
studio (at) suepownallartist.co.uk

A week's sketches

5/4/2014

Pencil & watercolour in A5 Stillman & Birn

Some of my friends not only sketch daily, but produce numerous sketches at a sitting. I'm not like that. I find a hundred things to keep me and my sketchbook apart, from the numerous daily walks with Degas, to social media, checking blogs, tv, reading... blah blah blah. If I do sketch, then scanning is another issue. However, like this morning, when I do scan I don't always like the results and so snap a photo, as I have with the two watercolours. I have found that when my laptop is already in my studio then scanning is easier - so there's my excuse to buy a tablet and leave it there. Now, how to schedule more sketching time??? I've signed up for the Urban Sketchers' Symposium in August, so there's a start. If you are interested in the USk symposium the details are here.

A5 sketchbook. ink & watercolour

First up in my sketchbook was last Saturday's sketch. Whilst waiting for my friend to arrive, so we could visit the Royal Academy's Sensing Spaces exhibition, I sketched the people enjoying the spring sunshine.

Next, having not seen daffodils for many years (I don't count those in florists) and inspired by Jean Haines' watercolours, I decide to paint some I picked from mum & dad's garden.

Watercolour with no predrawing

Lastly, I sketched the fluffy bone I gave Degas as her present for being good whilst I was away. I gave it to her yesterday, so she unstuffed and desqueeked one end, then I drew it.

*****
How often do you sketch? Why not tell me here.

2013 in review and resolutions

5/1/2014

Al Minsefah Doorway. 2013. SOLD

2013 was a rollercoaster year with very high highs and very low dips both personally and professionally. The best was rescuing a street pup, Degas, who 8 months later has grown into a beautiful young dog with a lovely friendly temperment. Due to her, I have moved to a house with a garden, 30 seconds from the beach. The low has been seeing my mother after she had a massive stroke in May and helping her move into residential care after a long spell in hospital, whilst making sure my father (along with his dog Nelson) is cared for with his developing dementia.

For 2013 I had 3 words to guide my art: inspiring, happiness and dream. Plus my resolution, as written in last year's review post was "throughout 2013 my resolution and goal will be on getting my finances in order, so I can move to Barcelona as soon as possible. ... my sketchbook will remain with me throughout 2013, I already have 2 commissions for drawings and further illustrations to do for The Story Shack... obviously my art passion will not be totally neglected." Well, due to having to take 3 trips to UK to help my parents, my finances are still not in order, though they are a little better then a year ago and I am still not in Barcelona. However, my art passion was certainly not neglected.

Burj Al Arab from Souq Madinate Jumeriah, UAE. 2013

Inspired by Norberto Dorantes

Inspiring: The biggest inspiration I found was attending the Urban Sketchers' Symposium in Barcelona. Four days of sketching and talking about sketching with amazing arty people. I met artists there who I have been in awe of and following for years like Luiz Ruiz and Norberto Dorantes. I was especially pleased to finally meet Pete Scully , Omar, and Liz Steel and to sketch with Alissa. I got to catch up with the Barcelona sketchers and Nina Johansson who I'd sketched with in 2012. Then, there were all the new artists I had the pleasure to meet and sketch with such as Simone and Chris, who I can't wait to sketch with again.

Other inspiration came from attending Art Dubai and the Global Art Forums in UAE, in March. It was great to see the contemporary art and attend the talks.

Illustrations and drawings from 2013.

Happiness: Whilst Degas has brought love, laughter and fun in my life, happiness within my art is hard to measure:- my biggest year end profit, 3 commissions, only half as many drawings 6 compared with 2012's 14, illustration work, or a solo exhibition - which brings me to ...

The Blind House. 2013 SOLD. One of my favourite drawings from the year.

Dream: I'm not sure when the dream to have my first solo show became more than a dream, but it was realised in December where I exhibited 30 pieces at the Beach House, Seeb. The exhibition exceeded all my expectations when I sold 12 of the 28 available for sale.

A wall of portraits. Another dot was later added to Still Celebrating by Mary (left)

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Resolutions for 2014

The last three years, I have used three words to guide my life throughout the year, but cannot fix on any this year.

I wish to be single-minded with my art by which I mean I will be selfish with my art time and not let people nor events cut into it. The obvious exception is Degas.
I still want to move Degas and I to Barcelona, so will continue to organise my finances, whilst helping my parents.

In order for these to be goals rather than wishes, I have an amount to achieve by October. Also, I am setting aside a minimum 8 hours each weekend for art production. Finally, I want to produce a minimum of 6 ink drawings within the year.

*****

May 2014 see you produce lots of art, laughter, and bring peace & happiness.

What do you think? Please leave me a comment by clicking comment below the title. Thank you.

Art of a Nomad Exhibition

9/12/2013

With my amazing host, Tess.

Friday, brought the vernissage for my first solo exhibition. Hung were 30 pieces, which included the drawing of the venue that I had been commissioned to draw (above) and some of my sketches. The venue is a hub of events here in Muscat and is a fabulous exhibition space. (Next weekend is a charity gig for a family in the Philippines whose homes have been destroyed in the typhoon. I'm donating 10% of any sales made on the evening).

Omanis looking at my Omani portraits.

The following morning, we held a coffee morning, which was well attended and resulted in 2 more sales. I was very pleased to have Omanis visiting and even buying my work, which was a lovely surprise as I view my market as being expatriates.

Both the vernissage and the coffee morning exceeded my expectations and, as I said on facebook, but it needs repeating THANK YOU to everyone who made it a success. BIG THANKS to my host Tess for everything she did, I am truly blessed to have Tess as a friend. To Marek who helped set up and gave me lovely roses on the night. To Jon who sorted out the drinks and music and Stephen who did the photos all evening. Lastly, but not any less in importance, a thank you to all my friends who came to support me

Sneak peak

28/8/2013

I'm currently working towards my solo exhibition, which is on from 7th December here in Muscat.

This is a sneak peak at the first new work that I've produced. If you want to see the whole thing, you'll have to wait until the exhibition.